Various attempts have been made to use computers in vocational assessment. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,270 of Ostby discloses use of a computer for pre-employment screening, but it is more of a role playing game that is also applicable to training. The emphasis on “path analysis” in assessing task-processing style has no counterpart in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,818 of Von Fellenberg discloses a very exacting method for presentation of paired questions and analysis of their results for identifying subject's psychological traits.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,891 of Cornellier discloses a computerized employment training using biofeedback monitoring to enable a subject to increase his tolerance of stress and enable him to perform tasks under more stressful conditions, using goal oriented cognitive tasks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,880 of Bonnstetter discloses an Employee Success Prediction System, using a computer to administer testing, but appears not to use graphics or multi-media. The testing in Bonnstetter '880 uses questionnaires. Both behavioral and value profiles of a subject are obtained.
In addition, it has been found previously in the prior art, primarily from testing for integrity on polygraph tests, that questions that take longer to answer and that exhibit more response time latency variability are not being answered truthfully.
However, these prior art patents and polygraph integrity testing do not disclose a multi-media method and system which performs psychological assessment of an individual for suitability for particular jobs, whereby the individual is shown and provided with discrete visual and auditory stimuli on a multi-media computer screen, so that the individual's responses can be monitored in conjunction with physiological responses received by biofeedback sensors.
These prior art patents and integrity testing also do not disclose display of virtual work environments, to enable the tested individual to simulate a real work environment, so that a job candidate's ability to maintain task focus under pressure can be measured, rather than only inferring potential performance based upon selective input from a job candidate.